[1] As a composer, he penned number-one hits, "The Real Thing" and "The Girl That I Love" for Russell Morris, "The Star" for Ross D. Wyllie and "I Thank You" for Lionel Rose.

It launched the careers of several teen pop stars and theatre actors, Danni Minogue, Tina Arena, Jamie Redfern, Jane Scali, Debra Byrne, Sally Boyden and Karen Knowles.

He was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame in 2010 by Arena who performed Young's song, "The Star".

[2][3][4] He was raised as the youngest son of Anna and her husband Fokke Jan de Jong (22 March 1914 – 15 July 1989), who was in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army and served in Indonesia after World War II.

[8] At eighteen-years-old, Young was host of TVW-7 Perth television pop music show Club Seventeen in early 1965.

[11] He disbanded Kompany to go solo and supported Roy Orbison, The Walker Brothers, The Mixtures and The Yardbirds at the Festival Hall, Melbourne on Australia Day (26 January).

[14] On 9 August Go-Set published its annual pop poll and Young was voted third "Most Popular Male" behind Ronnie Burns and Rowe.

[1][11] "Craise Finton Kirk", written by Barry and Robin Gibb, was released in August and peaked at number 14.

[1][11] It was followed by "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You", written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, but did not chart.

After four weeks rehearsal in London the band played a residency at the Star Club in Hamburg as a precursor to touring Australia.

Young returned to Australia in January 1968 with Rod Alexander and recorded "Unconcientious Objector" and his last Top 40 single, "It's a Sunny Day".

Gibb taught him that "there are no rules in song-writing, there is a structure, but what you need to do is find the 'hook', and it could be in the melody, the chorus, the words or even an identifiable riff, and that can be the difference in writing a hit record.

Young envisaged the song as a low-key acoustic ballad (in the style of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever") and he originally intended it for his friend and fellow singer Ronnie Burns.

Under Meldrum's production and with the collaboration of engineer John L. Sayers the song was radically transformed into a seven-minute psychedelic epic, with an elaborately edited backing track performed by an all-star band including ex-Zoot guitarist Roger Hicks (who composed the acoustic guitar intro), members of Melbourne band The Groop and backing vocalist Maureen Elkner.

Regular cast members were known as the Young Talent Team, the show was a launching pad for several Australian performers including Jamie Redfern, Debra Byrne, Dannii Minogue and Tina Arena.

[1] As well as producing the television series, Lewis-Young Productions distributed related merchandise including records on their own label (L&Y), books and magazines, a board game and a set of chewing gum cards.

[21] In 1972, Caravan Holiday, a short film, featured the original six Young Talent Team members plus two recently recruited new members, Greg Mills (later to be musical director in last years of YTT) and Julie Ryles (who died in early 2011) with cameos by pop star Johnny Farnham and long term judge Evie Hayes.

[3] On 9 March 1990, Young was inducted into the TV Week Logie Awards' Hall of Fame for "an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australian television.

"[23] From 24 October 2006, weekly magazine New Idea featured articles on Byrne's autobiography, Not Quite Ripe, which alleged that from the age of 12 she was introduced to sex, drugs and alcohol on Young Talent Time.

[24][25] The claims were vigorously denied by Young, he stated that Byrne was already 14 when she started and that drugs were not available on set, "Any drug-taking Debra did, she certainly didn't do it on our show.

The new series aired on Network Ten from 22 January to 4 May 2012 and was hosted by Rob Mills, with Young serving as executive producer and judge.

[1] By 1993, Young had financially supported Higgins, who sought alternative ozone therapy in the Philippines, but the clinic turned out to have a forged license[29] and when it was raided, the Filipino authorities mistook Young for the owner and arrested him under charges of running an illegal AIDS clinic after accompanying Higgins.

Subsequently, all charges were dropped, but Young's public image was damaged by media coverage of rumours regarding his sexuality.

ABC Television produced an episode on Australian Story in February 2000 in which he discussed the events and their effect on his life and career.

In 1999 he produced Cavalcade of Stars for Foxtel including repackaging segments of Young Talent Time and showcasing new Australian bands.

On 27 October 2010, Johnny Young was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame.

[30][31] On news of his impending induction Young said "I have always felt like the luckiest kid on the block to be able to continue working in the music industry for 50 years in so many areas when basically I am just a rock and roller.

Young married Rose McKimmie on 24 December 1999 in Bali and they lived in a battery-operated rural cottage about an hour-and-half from Melbourne.